Leptin Promotes Allergic Airway Inflammation through Targeting the Unfolded Protein Response Pathway

Sci Rep. 2018 Jun 11;8(1):8905. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-27278-4.

Abstract

Allergic asthma and obesity are major public health problems in the world. Recent Meta-analysis studies implicated a positive relationship between serum leptin, which is elevated in obese individuals, and the risk of asthma. However, it is not well understood how obesity-associated elevation of leptin increases the risk of asthma. In the current study, we have found that leptin induces the unfolded protein response factor XBP1s in an mTOR- and MAPK-dependent manner in pro-allergic TH2 cells; in vivo, mice fed with high fat diet had increased serum leptin as observed in human obese population and exacerbated asthmatic symptoms, associated with increased XBP1s expression in splenic CD4+ T cells. XBP1s is required for leptin-mediated pro-allergic TH2 cell survival and cytokine production. Our results reveal a previously unappreciated insight that obesity-associated hyperleptinemia contributes to enhanced pro-allergic lymphocyte responses through induction of XBP1s, leading to exacerbation of allergic asthma.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Asthma / pathology*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Diet, High-Fat / adverse effects
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Inflammation / pathology*
  • Leptin / metabolism*
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Th2 Cells / drug effects
  • Th2 Cells / immunology*
  • Unfolded Protein Response*
  • X-Box Binding Protein 1 / metabolism*

Substances

  • Leptin
  • X-Box Binding Protein 1
  • Xbp1 protein, mouse